Florence and the Machine and Gorillaz Fight for the Future on Their New Albums
Both seem intent upon inspiring listeners to fight through the crushing gravity of the times.
Craig Jenkins
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Teyana’s record is almost too good for the glut of disconcerting Kanye press that preceded it.
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If you like your pop music a little forlorn and introspective, you’ll find plenty of candidates here for rainy-day-mood playlists.
The Complicated Life and Death of XXXTentacion
The cruel figure he played on the harsher records in his short catalogue lined up with violence he encouraged and visited on others in real life.
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The New Wave of Rap Violence Shouldn’t Be Ignored
Young artists like XXXTentacion, Kodak Black, and Tay-K are making popular music, but their real-life violent actions can’t just be glossed over.
On Everything Is Love, Beyoncé and Jay-Z Are Performing a Marriage in Real Time
Each song here is the rare team-up where both parties sound like they’re pushing each other to greater heights.
On Redemption, Jay Rock Searches for His Voice
The more it focuses on Jay Rock’s knack for passionate storytelling, instead of flashy hooks and repetition, the better it fares.
Dave Matthews Band’s Come Tomorrow Is a Quiet Moment in an Overstuffed Year
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Kids See Ghosts Is the Win Kanye and Kid Cudi Badly Needed
Their debut collaborative album is the sound of old friends pooling their strengths to overcome tragedy.
The Pretty Emptiness of Kanye West’s Ye
Kanye West was once the everyman’s rapper, a poet of the downtrodden. He hasn’t been that artist in years.
On Kanye West, Expectations, and Family
Why sell this music with that drama?
Drake Probably Should Have Seen This Coming
Pusha-T’s “The Story of Adidon” is a brutal retaliation.
The Fascinatingly Weird World of A$AP Rocky’s Testing
It’s enticing in some spots, and unlistenable in others.
Pusha-T Is Having Another Moment
His new album, Daytona, is a return to form produced by Kanye West that proves that being a rap traditionalist doesn’t mean you have to be boring.
Pusha-T’s Daytona Is His Best Album in Years
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Summer Music Preview: Drake, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, and So Much Kanye
Plus: Wild speculation about Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Childish Gambino.
Courtney Barnett Seeks Out Harsh Truths on Tell Me How You Really Feel
It’s a fitting document of these tumultuous times.
The Internet Has Already Devoured ‘This Is America’
But it still has power.
Arctic Monkeys Find New Life by Rewriting Their Formula
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino ditches the old Arctic Monkeys sound in favor of late-night, self-aware vampire soul music.
Kanye West Let Us Down
If he never comes back from wandering out on the edges with the trolls and the racists, the times we felt inspired by his work still belong to us.